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LOADER.CONF(5) FreeBSD File Formats Manual LOADER.CONF(5)
NAMEloader.conf -- system bootstrap configuration information
DESCRIPTION
The file loader.conf contains descriptive information on bootstrapping
the system. Through it you can specify the kernel to be booted, parame-
ters to be passed to it, and additional modules to be loaded; and gener-
ally set all variables described in loader(8).
The file /boot/loader.rc must contain the following two lines for
loader.conf to be automatically processed:
include /boot/loader.4th
start
If no /boot/loader.rc exists at installworld time, one with the above
lines will be installed.
SYNTAX
Though loader.conf's format was defined explicitly to resemble
rc.conf(5), and can be sourced by sh(1), some settings are treated in a
special fashion. Also, the behavior of some settings is defined by the
setting's suffix; the prefix identifies which module the setting con-
trols.
The general parsing rules are:
+o Spaces and empty lines are ignored.
+o A # sign will mark the remainder of the line as a comment.
+o Only one setting can be present on each line.
All settings have the following format:
variable="value"
Unless it belongs to one of the classes of settings that receive special
treatment, a setting will set the value of a loader(8) environment vari-
able. The settings that receive special treatment are listed below.
Settings beginning with "*" below define the modules to be loaded and may
have any prefix; the prefix identifies a module. All such settings shar-
ing a common prefix refer to the same module.
exec Immediately executes a loader(8) command. This type of
setting cannot be processed by programs other than
loader(8), so its use should be avoided. Multiple
instances of it will be processed independently.
loader_conf_files
Defines additional configuration files to be processed
right after the present file.
kernel Name of the kernel to be loaded. If no kernel name is set,
no additional modules will be loaded. The name must be a
subdirectory of /boot that contains a kernel.
kernel_options
Flags to be passed to the kernel.
password Provides a password to be required by check-password before
execution is allowed to continue.
verbose_loading
If set to ``YES'', module names will be displayed as they
are loaded.
*_load If set to ``YES'', that module will be loaded. If no name
is defined (see below), the module's name is taken to be
the same as the prefix.
*_name Defines the name of the module.
*_type Defines the module's type. If none is given, it defaults
to a kld module.
*_flags Flags and parameters to be passed to the module.
*_before Commands to be executed before the module is loaded. Use
of this setting should be avoided.
*_after Commands to be executed after the module is loaded. Use of
this setting should be avoided.
*_error Commands to be executed if the loading of a module fails.
Except for the special value ``abort'', which aborts the
bootstrap process, use of this setting should be avoided.
WARNING: developers should never use these suffixes for any kernel envi-
ronment variables (tunables) or conflicts will result.
DEFAULT SETTINGS
Most of loader.conf's default settings can be ignored. The few of them
which are important or useful are:
bitmap_load
(``NO'') If set to ``YES'', a bitmap will be loaded to be
displayed on screen while booting.
bitmap_name
(``/boot/splash.bmp'') Name of the bitmap to be loaded.
Any other name can be used.
comconsole_speed
(``9600'' or the value of the BOOT_COMCONSOLE_SPEED vari-
able when loader(8) was compiled). Sets the speed of the
serial console. If the previous boot loader stage speci-
fied that a serial console is in use then the default
speed is determined from the current serial port speed
setting.
console (``vidconsole'') ``comconsole'' selects serial console,
``vidconsole'' selects the video console, and
``nullconsole'' selects a mute console (useful for sys-
tems with neither a video console nor a serial port).
kernel (``kernel'')
loader_conf_files
(``/boot/loader.conf/boot/loader.conf.local'')
splash_bmp_load
(``NO'') If set to ``YES'', will load the splash screen
module, making it possible to display a bmp image on the
screen while booting.
splash_pcx_load
(``NO'') If set to ``YES'', will load the splash screen
module, making it possible to display a pcx image on the
screen while booting.
vesa_load
(``NO'') If set to ``YES'', the vesa module will be
loaded, enabling bitmaps above VGA resolution to be dis-
played.
beastie_disable
If set to ``YES'', the beastie boot menu will be skipped.
loader_logo (``fbsdbw'')
Selects a desired logo in the beastie boot menu. Possi-
ble values are: ``fbsdbw'', ``beastiebw'', ``beastie'',
and ``none''.
FILES
/boot/defaults/loader.conf default settings -- do not change this file.
/boot/loader.4th defines the commands used by loader to read
and process loader.conf.
/boot/loader.conf user defined settings.
/boot/loader.conf.local machine-specific settings for sites with a
common loader.conf.
/boot/loader.rc contains the instructions to automatically
process loader.conf.
SEE ALSOboot(8), loader(8), loader.4th(8)BUGS
The loader(8) stops reading loader.conf when it encounters a syntax
error, so any options which are vital for booting a particular system
(i.e. ``hw.ata.ata_dma=0'') should precede any experimental additions to
loader.conf.
HISTORY
The file loader.conf first appeared in FreeBSD 3.2.
AUTHORS
This manual page was written by Daniel C. Sobral <dcs@FreeBSD.org>.
FreeBSD 8.4-stable July 20, 2011 FreeBSD 8.4-stable